Nelly van Balen Blanken

Nelly van Balen Blanken

Personal information
Full name	Petronella Blaauboer-van Balen Blanken
Born	(1917-11-18)18 November 1917 Anna Paulowna, Netherlands
Died	29 October 2008(2008-10-29) (aged 90) Schagen, Netherlands
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Club	Sagitta [nl]
Medal record Representing  Netherlands European Championships 1938 Vienna high jump

Petronella "Nelly"/"Nel" Blaauboer-van Balen Blanken, with surname also spelled as Blauwboer^[1] and Blauwbos^[2] (18 November 1917 — 29 October 2008) was a Dutch athlete, who competed in the high jump, long jump and hurdles in the late 1930s and 1940s.^[3] She was named Dutch Athlete of the Year in 1938.^[4] She was a member of athletics club Sagitta [nl] and represented the Netherlands at international competitions. Fanny Blankers-Koen was a member of the same club in the same period.^[5] She became the silver high jump medalist at the 1938 European Athletics Championships.

Career

One of her first main international achievement was in 1937, when Van Balen won the high jump event in an international competition against Germany.^[6]

Van Balen Blanken won the silver medal at the 1938 European Athletics Championships in the high jump event. In October 1938 she became the European record holder in the high jump, after the record was taken from record holder Dora Ratjen who turned out to be a male in a medical research.^[7]

During her career Van Balen Blanken won many medals at the National Championships. She became national champion in 1938 ahead of Fanny Blankers-Koen.^[8] In 1940 she won silver medals in the long jump and high jump, both behind Blankers-Koen. At the 1943 national championships she became national champion in the high jump and 80 metres.^[5]

She continued competing after her marriage. Her last reported achievements, including competing still at international competitions, are from 1948.^{[1][9][1][10]}

Personal life

Van Balen Blanken was born on 18 November 1917 in Anna Paulowna. After the death of her husband Jacob Blaauboer, she died on 29 October 2008 in Schagen at the age of 90.^[3]

References

1. "Selectie Athletiek wedstrijden". De Zaanlander. 7 June 1948. Retrieved 6 June 2022 – via Delpher.
2. "Petronella 'Nelly' van Balen Blanken (neé Blaauwbos)". trackfield.brinkster.net. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
3. "Nelly van Balen Blanken". online-familieberichten.nl. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
4. "ATHLETIEK-PARLEMENT BIJEEN Athleten onderscheiden. — Voorzitter Strengholt blijft. Heftige debatten over het ofifcieele orgaan". Algemeen Handelsblad. 13 March 1939. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
5. "De strijd der dames". Het Volk (in Dutch). 26 July 1943. Retrieved 6 June 2022 – via Delpher.
6. "Nederlandsche dames verliezen". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 23 August 1937. Retrieved 6 June 2022 – via Delpher.
7. "Records van Dora Ratjen niet erkend. Mej. Van Balen Blanken mede Europeesch recordhoudster hoogspringen". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 1 October 1938. Retrieved 6 June 2022 – via Delpher.
8. "Baumgarten verbetert Ned. record 400 M." Soerabaijasch handelsblad (in Dutch). 17 August 1938. Retrieved 6 June 2022 – via Delpher.
9. "Nederlandse dames winnen in Rome". Algemeen Handelsblad (in Dutch). 28 June 1948. Retrieved 6 June 2022 – via Delpher.
10. "De Nederlandse clubkampioenschappen voor dames". Leidse Courant (in Dutch). 30 August 1948. Retrieved 6 June 2022 – via leiden.courant.nu.

Other websites

• Atletiek Vrouwen in Oranje 1928 – 1939
• newspaper image